Trump says the US is going to “run” Venezuela. What does that mean?

US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. | Nicole Combeau/Bloomberg via Getty Images

For months, as the US has built up military forces around Venezuela, attacking alleged drug boats and seizing sanctioned oil tankers, the big question was whether the US would escalate to a campaign of regime change against the government of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

After the dramatic events of Saturday morning...